The former head of the NBA referees union and a league official for 26 years yesterday said rogue referee Tim Donaghy was able to slip through the cracks because refereeing has gotten worse and cited the final shot of Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls career as an example where a player's reputation prevented a proper call. Mike Mathis, who retired in 2001, said Donaghy's guilty plea in federal court to betting on games he officiated and supplying inside information to mob affiliates, came as "a stick of dynamite" to the league. But Mathis said, "another stick of dynamite should be utilized (to) clean the entire officiating office and start from scratch."

Mathis, who had been snared in the NBA officials' airline ticket scandal in the late 1990's, has been loudly critical of NBA officiating. Mathis charged too many supervisors are unqualified and that referees are hired based on who, not what, they know.

Though angrily denouncing Donaghy's actions, Mathis referenced the pivotal shot in Game 6 of the 1998 Finals by Jordan against the Utah Jazz that gave the Bulls their sixth and final championship in the Jordan era. Many observers maintain Jordan committed an offensive foul, but it was not called because of Jordan's stature and reputation.

"Refereeing has gone downhill," said Mathis, who runs the Mathis Foundation that works with and supplies scholarships for foster kids in Cincinnati. "Remember when Jordan hit that winning shot? I'm going to give you exactly what the commentators said: 'What a great move by Michael.' Was that a great move or was that an offensive foul? There was no question it was a push-off. No buts about it. The only buts you can have is, 'Well, it was Michael Jordan.' That was a defining moment.

"The video tape would never lie," Mathis said. "Here's what could have happened. The referee makes the call and it's, 'No, no. How could he do that? It was Michael Jordan.' "

If what Mathis called "funny stuff" went on in games Donaghy worked, it likely went unnoticed because of the level officiating has hit.

Donaghy admitted to federal officials that he often supplied inside information to gamblers, alerting them to what referees were working particular games. He said he was aware how some referees interacted with certain players.

"The first thing I went through was shock," Mathis said when he learned of Donaghy's transgressions. "Then I got angry. Then I said, 'What caused this?' I'm not talking about the gambling, I'm talking about the deterioration of the refereeing that has allowed this to go undetected. . . . If he was doing the funny stuff, I'm not saying he would have been caught but we might have had a chance, because all of a sudden he's standing out by calling all these calls."

Finally I feel some vindication and Stern has to answer to this...and not with some stock "our officials, in our opinion, do a great job..." line of crap.

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On the whole, there is nothing better. Granted, you need better oversight on training issues and some tight critiques from third party overseers, but you have the best there is.

What many fail to understand is that they are an isolated group. A group that (from the ground level) sees, hears and eventually must act in micro-seconds. The corollary to this profession are the law officials on the beat. Everyone hates them and they see, feel and internalize what most prefer not too see or acknowledge.

Want proof on how bad it could be? Remember the substitutions during the last ref walkout?

Stern is not helping himself thinking that the flaw is isolated. It is to some extend, but because of ideological concentrations within the media, they will now not leave a stone unturned. He needs to develop an oversight (third party) structure and admit we are dealing with human beings that also are part of the media circus (of which he delights in being part of). He has to move fast on this, since repercussions will be leaking out and it's all defensiveness after that. It may get ugly and more involved with the game's integrity. Not a pretty sight too see.

I am more sensitive now that we have Sheed. Watching the variation in calls that he gets depending on which refs are working the game. Bias to Players and Teams is real as well as the SuperStar calls.

I would rather struggle through rookie refs as long as they are clean than deal with all the old beefs and grudges out there. Refs are some of the most unforgiving sorts.

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Lots of truth to what you've said. The techs on Sheed, the calls he never gets on the offensive end. People wonder why he's not playing the post game as much. When defense has an open license to hack without fouling what else would you expect him to do? The superstar calls. The D-Wade ref rules. It all has to go. I agree, let the younger refs make their mistakes that don't favor any of the teams playing.

I am more sensitive now that we have Sheed. Watching the variation in calls that he gets depending on which refs are working the game. Bias to Players and Teams is real as well as the SuperStar calls.

I would rather struggle through rookie refs as long as they are clean than deal with all the old beefs and grudges out there. Refs are some of the most unforgiving sorts.

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Good heavens, no! Rookie refs are terribly inconsistent and this is the last thing you want. All most all professional players (3 years plus) know how to adjust to the vet refs. There are books on refs and how you must stay away or how you must play them (go ask Cuban).

This is not to say that certain refs are easily grated by certain personality types. They tighten up their act in the fourth quarter and give a great deal of leeway in not letting the whistle determine the outcome. Unfortunately the game is being extremely extended and an intense concentration on strategy is being played out in the last 30 seconds. I marvel at times just how closely in-tuned the refs are in this last few seconds....right down to the adding or subtracting points on the second clock. Be honest now, could you follow the game (while on the court) that closely?

Sheed is a child...and he refuses to make any adjustments unless of course it has repercussions in suspensions. The refs could tag Sheed at least 3-5 per game with technicals. Go figure.

I'm so glad this long- awaited debate is finally starting. It's more than obvious that superstars are getting calls average players would never get.
It sucks to see all the travelling, pushing and shoving happening without calls just because of the name a player has. I hope it will become better now that there actually seems to be a discussion about that.

I'm so glad this long- awaited debate is finally starting. It's more than obvious that superstars are getting calls average players would never get.

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I'm sorry folks, but to think that Stern is going to allow this gambling thing to become an overall referendum on the referees (cute, no?) is a pipe dream. This is going to end up being about one bad guy gambling when he shouldn't have, and the NBA will control the spin enough to make it only about that. Put away those brooms away, this witch-hunt is over.

I'm sorry folks, but to think that Stern is going to allow this gambling thing to become an overall referendum on the referees (cute, no?) is a pipe dream. This is going to end up being about one bad guy gambling when he shouldn't have, and the NBA will control the spin enough to make it only about that. Put away those brooms away, this witch-hunt is over.

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Do be naive (or so intellectually cynical)...it's just beginning. This is going to spread. Having a lawyer, or a group of lawyers (typical Stern and bringing slightly higher level thinking above those mentally challenged owners) is not the answer. He needs to bring a third party oversight group and training (using the latest technology) to buy time until the season starts so it is in place and reasonably functional.

Have you noticed how silent the union is about this? No thinking go on there.

I'm sorry folks, but to think that Stern is going to allow this gambling thing to become an overall referendum on the referees (cute, no?) is a pipe dream. This is going to end up being about one bad guy gambling when he shouldn't have, and the NBA will control the spin enough to make it only about that. Put away those brooms away, this witch-hunt is over.

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It looked like it was heading in that direction and I am sure Stern would love to do that.

With the latest developments that Donaghe could predict the outcome of games based on who the refs were and that as many as 20 refs are active gambles will force the situation. And its only getting started.